AN EVALUATION OF THE WORK OF JAZZ PIANIST/COMPOSER DAVE BRUBECK BY DANNY RONALD ZIRPOLI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1990 Copyright 1990 by Danny Ronald Zirpoli , ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This writer is greatly appreciative of the valuable help given by many people. A very special thanks and acknowledgement are extended to my chairman, mentor, advisor, and friend, Dr. David Z. Kushner whose belief in my ability gave me the confidence to see this project to completion. Gratitude is extended to my other committee members Dr. S. Philip Kniseley, Professor John S. Kitts, Dr. Jeff A. Hurt, and Dr. Forrest W. Parkay. Their help and encouragement were most appreciated. I would also like to thank Mrs. Robena Eng-Cornwell Associate University Librarian, University of Florida, for her valuable assistance. This study would have been difficult to complete without the help of Mrs. Juliet Gerlin. She not only provided valuable support and source materials but also arranged for a personal interview with Dave Brubeck. To my mother, Margaret Zirpoli, mother-in-law, Eileen Cywinski, and father-in-law, John Cywinski, go my heartfelt thanks. Their faith and confidence in me were unsurpassed. I will forever be indebted to my wife for her help and moral support during this time. She truly helped me through my darkest hours. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES vi ABSTRACT xii CHAPTERS I INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT 1 II METHODOLOGY AND MATERIALS 5 III REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 11 IV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 18 V INFLUENCES AND STYLISTIC APPROACHES 37 Early Influences 3 7 Darius Milhaud Influence 56 Compositional Approach Polyrhythms and Polytonality 58 Influence of European Classical Composers Integration of Classical and Jazz Elements 67 Jazz Choral Compositions 80 Orchestral Genre — Elementals 88 Programmatic Inspiration — Keyboard Works.. 89 Inspiration from other Countries Keyboard Works 89 Schools of Jazz--Influences 102 Audience/Performer Interaction 105 Reciprocal Influence 113 VI BRUBECK AND THE CRITICS 115 Musical Criticisms 116 Social Criticisms 128 VII METRIC AND RHYTHMIC EXPERIMENTS 132 VIII CULTURAL AMBASSADOR 154 IX PEDAGOGICAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL VALUE 163 Elementary Student 164 Advanced Student 177 X SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS 195 Research Question One: To What Extent has Brubeck Contributed to the Development of Jazz Piano? 196 Research Question Two: To What Extent has Brubeck been Influential in Promoting the Cause of Jazz? 198 Research Question Three: What is the Extent of Brubeck's Contribution as far as Compositional Output is Concerned? 199 Research Question Four: What is the Extent of Pedagogical/Instructional Value in the Study and Analysis of Dave Brubeck's Music? 201 Implications 202 GLOSSARY: DEFINITIONS 204 APPENDICES A SELECTED LIST OF PIANO COMPOSITIONS 208 B SELECTED LIST OF CHORAL COMPOSITIONS 212 C RECORDINGS BY THE DAVE BRUBECK ENSEMBLES... 213 REFERENCES 215 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 221 LIST OF FIGURES Figure No. Page 1 Gloria (measures 1-11) 40 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1976 St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. 2 God ' s Love Made Visible (measures 1-5) 41 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1978 St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. 3 Mr. Fats (measures 39-54) 46 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1980 St. Francis Derry Music Co. Music Co. 4 It's a Raggy Waltz (measures 1-11) 49 (c) 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 5 Rag (measures 13-25) 50 (c) 1962 & 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 6 Mr. Fats (measures 1-11) 52 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1980 St.. Francis Derry Music Co. Music Co. 7 The Duke (measures 1-17) 55 (c) 1955 & 1956 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 8 Polytonal voicing 61 9 Polytonal chordal structures 62 10 Polytonal chord structure 63 11 Polytonal chord structure 65 12 Georgia on my Mind (measures 29-38) 66 13 Brandenburg Gate (measures 1-24) 69 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission vi Fugue (measures 1-12) 70 (c) 1962 & 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 15 Pick Up Sticks (measures 1-11) 72 (c) 1960, 1961 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by. Permission 16 Strange Meadowlark (measures 15 6-160) 73 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 17 Strange Meadowlark (measure 68) 74 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission Strange Meadowlark (measures 108-109) 76 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 19 In Your Own Sweet Way (measures 1-7) 77 Tc) 1955 & 1956 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission Blue Shadows in the Street 78 (measures 1-12T (c) 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 21 Dziekuje (measures 1-16) 79 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission Forty Days (measures 52-62) 84 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1968 St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. 23 Tone row 86 (From The Gates of Justice , Section XII) Oh , Come Let Us Sing (measures 87-106) 87 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1970) St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. Strange Meadowlark (measures 1-2) 90 (•c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 26 Tritonis (measures 1-15) 91 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1979 St. Francis Derry Music Co. Music Co. vii 27 Cantiga Nova Swing (measures 1-13) 93 (c) 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 28 Castilian Blue s (measures 1-6) 94 (c) 1962 & 1967 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 29 Lamento (measures 33-42) 95 (c) 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 30 Lamento (measures 1-16) 96 (c) 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 31 The Golden Horn (measures 1-8) 97 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 32 Blue Rondo a la Turk (measures 1-11) 99 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 33 Nomad (measures 1-16) 100 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 34 Koto Song (measures 53-60) 103 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1964 St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. 35 The City is Crying (measures 1-13) 106 Reprinted by Permission (c) 1964 St. Francis Shawnee Press, Inc. Music Co. 36 Southern Scene (measures 50-58) 107 (c) 1960, 1962, 1964 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 37 Dizzy's Dream (measures 1-9) 108 (c) 1986 & 1987 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 38 Georgia on my Mind (measures 1-27) 109 39 Georgia on my Mind (1-17) 110 40 Georgia on my Mind (18-38) Ill 41 Blue Rondo a la Turk (measures 1-11) 133 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 42 Standard twelve-bar blues pattern 135 43 Modified version of twelve-bar 136 blues pattern 44 Blue Rondo a l_a Turk (measures 79-90) 137 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 45 Blue Rondo a la Turk (measures 91-102) 138 (c) 1960 & 1962) Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 46 Take Five (measures 1-12) 140 (c) 1960 & 1961 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 47 Kathy's Waltz (measures 1-13) 141 (c) 1960, 1961, 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 48 Kathy's Waltz (measures 34-58) 142 (c) 1960, 1961, 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 49 Kathy's Waltz (measures 73-90) 144 (c) 1960, 1961, 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 50 Everybody's Jumping (measures 1-18) 145 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 51 It's A Raggy Waltz (measures 1-12) 147 (c) 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 52 Far More Blue (measures 1-16) 149 TcT 1961 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 53 Unsquare Dance (measures 1-18) 150 (c) 1961 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission ix 54 Unsquare Dance (measures 19-30) 152 (c) 1961 5 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 55 Three's A Crowd (measures 1-18) 166 (c) 1962 & 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 56 Countdown (measures 1-8) 167 (c) 1962 & 1963 Reprinted by Permission 57 I See Satie (measures 1-14) 168 (c) 1986 & 1987 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 58 Elana Jov (measures 1-3) 170 (c) 1986 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 59 Elana Joy (measures 7-10) 171 (c) 1986 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 60 Dizzy ' s Dream (measures 1-9) 172 (c) 1986 & 1987 Derry Music co. Reprinted by Permission 61 How Does Your Garden Grow 173 (measures 1-9) (c) 1986 & 1987 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 62 Nomad (measures 37-46) 175 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 63 Brandenburg Gate (measures 1-24) 176 (c) 1959 Derry Music co. Reprinted by Permission 64 Golden Horn (measures 1-8) 178 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 65 Golden Horn (measures 21-28) 179 (c) 1959 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission x b6 Rising Sun (measures 19-29) 180 (c) 1964 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 67 Bluette (measures 1-11) 182 (c) 1961 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 68 Rising Sun (measures 1-8) 183 (c) 1964 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 69 Georgia on my Mind (measures 19-28) 184 70 Fast Life (measures 112-118) 185 <c) 1962 & 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 71 Castilian Blues (measures 1-13) 186 (c) 1962 & 1963 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 72 Three To Get Ready (measures 45-59) 188 (c) 19F0 & 1962 Derry Music Co. Reprinted by Permission 73 Blue Rondo a la Turk (measures 1-11) 189 (c) 1960 & 1962 Derry Music Co.